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Council pauses on Foothills Trail realignment amid concerns over park impacts and costs
Summary
Council members questioned a Foothills Trail realignment that would move the trail along the park wall and disturb historic features, with some saying potential extra city costs could exceed grant funding. Staff said design funds are available but warned construction funds must be obligated by June 1, 2026; council will revisit the item with the city attorney present.
Deputy Mayor (speaker 6) told the council that an engineering agreement to realign the Foothills Trail — moving it along the inner fence or rock wall — is ready for signature but that the body should confirm its intent before committing.
The item centered on trade‑offs between safety improvements and the park’s historic fabric. The proposal calls for rerouting the trail to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and bicycles, but council members raised alarm about impacts to trees, carved features and a memorial wall. “You have multiple maple trees being removed,” the deputy mayor said, and warned the realignment would “touch” virtually all elements of the park.
Council members focused on cost uncertainty. One member said he had heard the grant amount was about $1.675 million, and asked whether the city could face an additional $1 million in local costs; another cautioned that the final construction cost will not be known until engineering is complete. Staff noted the engineering and design grant is $225,000 and that the city’s share of design costs would be about 13.5%, “just under $24,000,” but warned that obligated construction funds must be in place by June 1, 2026 and that the city could be required to repay design funds if it accepts grant money and later declines construction.
After discussing options, several council members said they wanted more time to review the engineering proposals and the likely impacts. One council member proposed returning the item to committee for further vetting; others favored scheduling it on the next regular council agenda so the city attorney can advise the body on obligations tied to earlier approvals. Staff agreed to revise the agenda bill language and bring the matter back with counsel in attendance.
Next steps: the council directed staff to return the Foothills Trail realignment to the agenda at the next meeting for a fuller discussion with the city attorney and to include detailed notes about the items staff and council members flagged (tree removal, historic features, grant conditions and potential local match requirements).
